Chef Tobi Smith, Chef Muneera Tahir, Chef Cristian Duhalde Diaz, Tunde Wey and Dunni Obata were our Men and Women crush for the month of July 2020! Meet them
Chef Tobi was our man crush on 6th, July 2020 he is the brain behind All I Do Is Cook, he is a Nigerian Chef and Hospitality consultant based in the States. His “favorite thing to do is to be in the kitchen” he is passionate about exploring Nigerian food and also creating an infusion with dishes inspired by other cultures.
Tobi Smith bagged his first degree in Accounting and Finance from Babcock University, Ilishan – Remo, Ogun-State. He furthered with the Master’s program and got an MSc in Hospitality and Tourism Management from, the University of North Texas.
He started All I Do Is Cook in August 2017, an idea that started in his student apartment in Denton, TX.
It is a platform where food is cooked, blogged and can be shopped. Their service majorly is to create “authentic Nigerian Food and products” and deliver to “doorsteps across the United States.”
Tobi loves to explore a number of interest and specialities this gave rise to TwoThirtyFour Kitchen which he’s a co-founder. In May 2020, he was featured on VoyageHouston blog.
Of recent he was a guest on Atim Ukoh’s puffpuff series where we gave insights on how to make the right puffpuff.
He is skilled in Hospitality Management, Food Safety, Food Creation/Preparation, Accounting and Finance. We at MCZ, appreciate your work and wish Tobi Smith well in his “favorite place” even as he continues putting Nigerian food on the world food map.
The culinary gangstar and trend setter, Muneera Tahir (Chef Muse) was our woman crush on 8th July, 2020 she hails from Makurdi, capital of Benue state, Nigeria. Located in the Middle Belt. She’s a sous chef and Chef instructor at Red Dish Chronicles.
Chef Muse is a graduate of University of Abuja. Her debut as a cook was in her grandmother’s kitchen and led her to complete a Chef’s Diploma in Cuisine and Patisserie at Red Dish Chronicles (RDC) in 2016. She got an internship at L’italiano Restaurant, London and rose rapidly to the position of Head Chef of L’Italiano Restaurant where she worked until September of 2017. Presently, she’s a Chef Instructor at Red Dish helping in training the new generation of chef.
On Monday, April 30th, Chef Muse was featured at the Gtbank Food and Drink for a Masterclass on grooming chefs of the future. Where she made great food and shared her wealth of experience with the secondary school students present for the class. She has also been featured on House Of Ebony Blog and lots more.
Chef Muse is skilled in food styling, food consultancy, menu engineering, restaurant management and many more. We at MCZ, wish you well even as you continue setting the trends being the culinary gangster that you are.
Chef Cristian Duhalde Diaz of La Taverna was our Man crush on 13th, July 2020 he has been cooking for over 23 years. He hails from Latin America, Chile to be precise. He is the owner and creative director of La Taverna, an esoteric Chilean, Italian and Spanish restaurant, based in Lagos and Abuja, Nigeria.
La Taverna restaurant started operation in the year 2013 the name ‘Taverna’ is a Spanish word which when translated means ‘Cave’. The restaurant is famous for offering the ‘Best Pizza in Lagos’. Chef Diaz versatility in cooking comes from a place of understanding cuisine and his experience in making dishes from places like — Italy, South Africa, Spain and Chile creating an incredible fusion between these inspired the esoteric restaurant.
Chef Diaz is skilled in food creation, styling and restaurant management. He has been featured on Business Day & Guardian Newspaper, Bella Naija, MyCookery Zone, Eat.Drink.Lagos and the GTBank Food Drink Festival 2019.
He considers himself a ‘Bushman for Life’ while, we at MCZ considers him to be one of the vibrant restaurateur in Lagos, Nigeria. We wish you well as keep being the ‘Bushman’ and as you continue giving Nigerians a taste of Latin America cuisine.
Akintunde Wey was our Man crush on 27th, July 2020 he is a Nigerian Food writer, cook and artist. He is a staunch believer and advocate for diversity in the culinary industry, he is a food writer who uses his writing prowess to challenge authority. Tunde Wey started his career as a self-trained cook at the age of 16 after arriving America. Tunde co-founded an innovative restaurant called the Revolver alongside his old-time roommate Peter Dalinowski after moving to Detroit, Michigan to live with his aunty.
In 2014, to be precise April — Tunde went on a food tour around American cities like, Chicago, Buffalo, Washington, Philadelphia and New York City with the aim to host ‘Nigerian themed diners’ ( called Lagos) as a guest chef at top restaurants. Upon touring he got recognised by New York Times, which further led to the renowned newspaper producing a documentary about his passion for cooking.
In March 2016, Tunde launched his unapologetically frank dinner series, ‘Blackness in America,’ where diners shared food and stories of black identity and experiences. However, he has also been featured on platforms like: New Yorker, Vogue, Food and Wine, Bella Naija to mention a few.
Recently, he was a guest on Black Book Webinar on Sunday, July 5th 2020 where he discussed on Food Media, News and Magazine.
Tunde is highly motivated by the need to create diversity in the culinary industry, changing the way people view Nigerian food. He is currently working on a project titled LET IT DIE.
We at MCZ, wish you well even as you continue advocating for diversity in the culinary industry through your writing and the meals you make.
Dunni Obata of Dooney’s Kitchen was our Woman crush on 29th, July 2020. Dunni Obata is the Recipe Developer and Creative lead at Dooney’s Kitchen. A platform which started out as a blog where “Nigerian centric food, detailed recipes” and where “personal real life stories” are shared. The brand later grew into a restaurant (Dooney’s Kitchen Lagos/ Dooney’s Tea Room) & Culinary School (Dooney’s Kitchen Institute).
Dunni is known for championing the New Nigerian food revolution through her blog where she redefines and promote Nigerian cuisine. Speaking of her blog it is “everything you need to know about Nigerian food, either as a newbie or a seasoned pro, you will find there.”
In 2016, Dunni Obata was featured in a Masterclass session at the Gtbank Food Drink Fair. In February 2020, Dunni launched the Dooney’s Effect a Webinar where she shared her experience and journey as a foodprenuer. Dunni was a guest on Enterprise Stories Show on Inspiration FM 92.3 (Lagos) where she discussed food business. We at MyCookery Zone (MCZ), see Dunni as a food influencer who has continued to create a significant change in the food industry.
We at MCZ, wish you well even as you continue impacting the coming generation using modern kitchen technology as tool to redefine and promote Nigerian cuisine.
My Cookery Zone 